ORLEN Launches Sales of HVO100

(Biofuels International) The ORLEN Group has initiated sales of its HVO100 fuel at two service stations in Germany. ... The introduction of this fuel to the Polish market will be possible once the ongoing legislative work on quality requirements is completed.

HVO100 is available at two locations: Boizenburg on the Elbe and Achim near Bremen.

Sales will soon be expanded to include more stations in Germany. The ORLEN Group is also preparing to begin HVO100 sales in the Czech Republic, where the necessary legal framework is already in place. Wholesale sales in the Czech market are expected to commence in the first quarter of 2025, with preparatory work currently ongoing at the Paramo terminal in Pardubice, from where the product is to be distributed. Expanding sales of this fuel to the retail segment is also under consideration.

In Poland, similar legislative work is currently ongoing to define the quality requirements for HVO100 and to make it subject to quality control by the Trade Inspection. This fuel is already available in several European countries, including Finland, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Latvia.

Meanwhile, the construction of an HVO production plant in Płock, with a capacity of 300,000 tonnes of finished biocomponent per year, is well underway. It will be capable of processing a wide range of lipid feedstocks, including rapeseed oil (RSO), used cooking oil (UCO), and their blends. READ MORE

Excerpt from ORLEN Unipetrol: The network of ORLEN filling stations has started offering a fully synthetic fuel – hydrotreated vegetable oil with 100% purity (HVO100). This fuel is made of vegetable oils and waste products in the food and catering industry, including used cooking oil. It can lower GNG emissions by up to 90% compared to conventional fossil fuels, which is fully in line with ORLEN Unipetrol Group’s long-term strategy regarding sustainable development and reduction in carbon emissions. The pilot sales were launched at the ORLEN filling station in Rokycany, Czechia. Expanding the sales to other filling stations in the Czech Republic and including the fuel in the ORLEN Unipetrol Group’s wholesale offer is planned for the first quarter of next year.

“Our strategic ambition is to cut CO2 emissions by 25% by 2030 compared to 2019 and reach a net zero by 2050. We are implementing many decarbonisation projects in industry and transport to accomplish these goals. Besides building the infrastructure for battery- and hydrogen-driven e-mobility, we start selling advanced biofuels at ORLEN filling stations, which enable our customers to reduce their carbon footprint significantly,” says Agnieszka Bobrukiewicz, a member of the Board of Directors of the ORLEN Unipetrol Group, responsible for retail and marketing management. She adds: “These activities are a part of our strategy focused on lowering emissions and using renewable sources. They also comply with the EU RED III directive and the National Plan for Pure Mobility of the Ministry of Transport of the Czech Republic.”

This synthetic diesel designed for passenger cars and trucks is now available at the ORLEN filling station in Rokycany and will be gradually expanded to other ORLEN filling stations. Apart from retail sales, ORLEN Unipetrol plans to include the HVO100 in its wholesale fuel offer at the beginning of next year.

Hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) is a modern type of fuel with a cetane rating of over 70. It provides better starting, smoother operation, and lower emissions than conventional diesel fuel. It protects engines and filters thanks to a high chemical purity. It is suited for cold weather and has longer storage times. The HVO100 is compatible with a clear majority of diesel engines without any technical modification. The new engines are even approved for this fuel type (“XTL” designation on the tank lid).

It can also be used in railway transport. In cooperation with Czech Railways, ORLEN Unipetrol tests its use in Pesa motor units, 847 RegioFox series. The project scheduled for 2024 and 2025 aims to lower GNG emissions in railway transport by dozens of per cent.

HVO’s composition corresponds to an oil diesel fraction and meets the ČSN EN 15940 standard and the Directive (EU) of the European Parliament and of the Council 2009/30/EC regarding the quality of market fuels. HVO made from various sources has different qualities. The difference is in the cleaning method, hydrogen consumption, and emission footprint. If HVO is made from a vegetable source planted for fuel production purposes, the final emission footprint includes all activities associated with its production. Still, it offers significant savings in GNG emissions (60-65% of CO2 equivalent) compared to fossil fuels. If used vegetable oils or fats are used, as well as waste materials, emission savings can make up to 90-95% compared to oil-based fuels.

The international network of ORLEN filling stations, which comprises 3,500 sites in seven European countries, offers this renewable fuel in Czechia and Germany – in Boizenburg on the Elbe and Achim at Bremen. Sales in Poland is being prepared.

The ORLEN Unipetrol Group is the largest refining and petrochemical company in the Czech Republic. It focuses on crude oil processing and the production, distribution and sale of vehicle fuels and petrochemical products – particularly plastics and fertilisers. It belongs among the key players on the Czech and Central European markets in all these areas. The ORLEN Unipetrol Group encompasses refineries and production plants in Litvínov and Kralupy nad Vltavou, Paramo in Pardubice, Spolana in Neratovice, REMAQ in Otrokovice, and two research centres in Litvínov and Brno. ORLEN Unipetrol also includes the ORLEN network of petrol stations in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary. ORLEN Unipetrol is one of the largest companies in the Czech Republic in terms of turnover. It employs over 6,000 people. ORLEN Unipetrol is also a socially responsible company, particularly in the areas of supporting sustainable development, education, local communities and the environment. Its quality employee care is attested to by the prestigious Top Employer certificate which the Group received in 2023 and 2024 and by a host of national accolades. In 2005, ORLEN Unipetrol became part of the ORLEN Group, the largest energy company in Central Europe. READ MORE